


Like a Monkey in a Tree, Like a Kappa in Water

by EzraTheBlue



Series: Target Practice [2]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Brotherly Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8001082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: A happy moment for a young Gojyo.</p>
<p>Jien's the man of the house, so it's his responsibility to teach Gojyo vital skills. Especially the ones that just might make him smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Monkey in a Tree, Like a Kappa in Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lepetiterik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lepetiterik/gifts).



> A prompt fill for an open prompt request. This one turned out super cute.
> 
> The title is a reference to a pair of similar Japanese idioms, "Even a monkey can fall from a tree," and "Even a kappa can drown," meaning that even one who is skilled at something can make mistakes (e.g., a monkey failing to climb a tree or a kappa failing to swim). I found the idiom while doing some research for another story, and though I rather inverted the meaning, I liked it anyway.

**Like a Monkey in a Tree, Like a Kappa in Water**

His baby fat was already gone, but he was still a baby. The fact that Jien could see his brother’s ribs twisted the valves of his heart. “Hold still, Gojyo,” he muttered as he tried to wrestle him out of his shirt. Little Gojyo, barely five and still wriggly, whined and tugged his shirt down.

“No, don’t wanna!” Jien got the shirt up to Gojyo’s belly, and Jien spotted the bruise under his sternum. Gojyo hadn’t told him about that one. Then again, Gojyo was probably hoping Jien didn’t notice the bandage under his eye or the handprint on his lower back, either. He tried to shrug so much of it off. He was too little to be holding back tears. Then again, he was too little to have stopped laughing, and yet, here he was.

Gojyo wasn’t asking any questions about why Jien was trying to undress him out behind their cottage, he only knew that he didn’t want to be undressed. Jien finally grabbed onto his cheeks and pinched them, not too hard, but enough to get his attention.

“Quit it, dummy. You can’t go swimming in your clothes. I don’t care what you look like under ‘em.”

This caught Gojyo off guard. “Swimmin’?” He crossed his arms tight. “I can’t swim!”

“I know. That’s why we’re going. I’m gonna teach you how.” Jien pinched his cheeks again, and when Gojyo swung his little hands to push him off, he yanked his shirt off. Gojyo squealed another complaint, but Jien just mussed his hair. He had a lot of it to push around, and as Gojyo tried to shove his part straight, Jien was able to unbutton his pants and yank them down his legs. Gojyo whined and struggled as Jien pulled swimming trunks onto him, stolen from a line in town and only a little too big, then loaded him under his arm like a particularly wiggly bag of potatoes. He struggled a minute longer, as Jien gathered up the rest of the supplies he’d ferreted out of the house. A bag with their lunch in it, a jug of water, and a first aid kit. Hopefully that would be enough, because carrying much more and a petulant child at the same time might be a little much for him. Gojyo eventually fell limp and hung still, though he pouted up at Jien from his hold.

“What if I don’t wanna swim?”

“You wanna swim.” Jien rolled his eyes. He knew he was way too young to be teaching Gojyo life lessons, but damn if there was anyone else to do it. “Someday, you might fall in a river or something. Or maybe you’re out at a beach and a girl starts drowning, so you gotta go save her. I dunno.” He hitched Gojyo up a little as he stepped over a branch. “It’s something everyone should know how to do.”

Dad had taught him how to swim when he was Gojyo’s age. Dad had taken him to a deep, still part of the river during the summer and guided him in. It wasn’t that long ago, was it? He still remembered. Dad hadn’t taught him much about being the man of the house, but he was putting it together, piece by piece. He was old enough to know it wasn’t his job, but he had to do it, no matter how wrong it was. If nothing else, he had to make sure Gojyo would never drown.

Jien had found the still spot in the creek by accident when Gojyo had run off a week or two ago. He’d been curious about it then, but hadn’t had the time to take a closer look, because his five-year-old brother needed finding. When he did have time, he found it to be a fairly decent hole, maybe ten feet across and just about four feet deep at the low end, and perfect. The current was weak, and the water was still pretty chilly, but there was a nice sunny clearing overhead that would warm their skin. Jien had waited for a warm day, and even trekking through the underbrush now was working up a sweat. He’d enjoy the water. He’d make Gojyo do the same.

“Where’re you taking me?” Gojyo twisted his neck up, looking a little sullen. Jien rolled his eyes and tickled under Gojyo’s arm, eliciting a little giggle.

“Trust your big bro, okay?” He stepped over one of the big logs that he knew marked the way, then moved Gojyo up to his shoulders. Holding him by the chest was probably uncomfortable for his poor little ribs, and he had stopped struggling, anyway.

Jien found his way to the swimming hole and set Gojyo down, then kicked his shoes off, tied the laces together and hung them on a tree, and tested the water with his toes. Chilly, but not bad. He turned around to Gojyo. “Okay, we’re going in.” He stepped in. The shallows of the little pool came halfway to his knees, and he turned to Gojyo, but Gojyo whined and shrank back.

“Uh-uh!”

“Uh-huh. Come on.” Jien took his hands and pulled him closer. “Dip a toe, it feels nice.”

Gojyo yanked his hands back, then crossed his arms and sulked, his hair sinking in front of his face, and Jien took him in, head to toe. His bruises were more visible in the sunlight. He grimaced, then stepped out and scooped Gojyo up.

“C'mere.” He hugged him close and stepped back in, then walked all the way to the deep end. Gojyo squealed as his chest hit the water, but Jien crouched until the water was up at Gojyo’s chin, then slowly stepped back, keeping his knees bent, and put Gojyo at arm’s length. “I got you. I won’t let you sink. Kick your legs a little. It’ll help you float. Feel how the water moves for you.” Gojyo winced, but through the clear, currentless water, Jien could see him kicking. “Straight feet, point your toes, imagine your legs are like flippers.” Gojyo tried, grunting as he kicked harder, and Jien shifted his hands to hold him under his ribcage. “Paddle a little.” He splashed his hand to demonstrate, and Gojyo grunted and tried to imitate him. He only really succeeded at splashing, but Jien supported him as he slowly swept backwards through the water so he wouldn’t, couldn’t sink. “See, Dad was a water sprite, so he could swim like nobody’s business. You’re Dad’s kid, so you oughta have a natural talent for it.”

Gojyo stopped kicking, and his face fell. “M'only half Dad.”

“So?” Jien caught him on his knee and stopped moving. “I’m only half Dad too. It’s plenty. Kappas swim like monkeys climb trees, and we’re both kappa enough for it. Let’s keep trying.”

That gave Gojyo a little more pep, and he kicked more aggressively when Jien started moving again. “That’s good!” Jien moved a little faster, sweeping in circles through the pool so Gojyo could really feel the water around his skin. Gojyo giggled, his face lighting up as the water rushed past him, but paddled harder, as if he could swim through Jien’s distant hold to get to him. Jien paddled back to the shallow end and set him down. “Watch my arms, okay?” He demonstrated a simple butterfly stroke through the pool, then stood upright and showed his arms in the air, holding his arms straight up and arcing his elbows out to the sides. “Push your hands through, and push the water past you. You’re not pushing yourself forward, you’re pushing the water back.” He looked at Gojyo. “Show me what I just did!”

Gojyo stretched his arms to the sky, then brought them out like a trident. Jien scooted up and corrected him, fixing his forearms and turning his wrists. “It’s got a little twist.” Gojyo responded by wriggling his hips and giggling, and Jien laughed. “Not _the_ twist, just the hands!” Gojyo blew a raspberry at him, and Jien rolled his eyes. “Well, if you’re gonna be like that, just get in here and show me what you got!”

Gojyo stepped down and into the water again, and Jien guided him onto his front, supporting him by his too-thin tummy. “Keep your face up.” He was a little too young to learn the breathing yet. Next time. They had plenty of time. Gojyo grunted, tipping his chin up. “Okay, now try to do the long kick and the arms together.” Gojyo extended his arms and pushed them in the stroke, then unevenly kicked a few times. Jien felt him moving under his own power, but guided his movements. “Good, Gojyo, real good.” Gojyo looked up at him, then kicked harder, splashing. “Easy, you wanna keep your feet in the water.” Gojyo grunted again, and stroked more fiercely. “Hey, cool it!” Jien stopped and leaned over to look Gojyo in the face. “If you’re moving in water, you gotta move like the water.” Dad had told him that. Swim strong when the current was fierce, but when the water was easy, you had to be easy. Gojyo might have been too young for the complex version. He was also a little fragile for criticism, and he had gone completely still. “I’m not mad at’cha. Just be gentle. You were doing really, really good.”

Gojyo whined, and Jien adjusted his hold again, one hand on Gojyo’s chest, just next to his heart, and one on his tummy, right over his hipbones. “Start with the legs. Knees tight, toes pointed. Nice, long kicks.” Gojyo obliged, and Jien moved him with his kicks, turning him and guiding him. “Just like a kappa. Real good. Let’s try the arms. Try and do one big arm-stroke for every two kicks. So kick, kick, big stroke.”

“Kick, kick, big stroke,” Gojyo mumbled into the water, and pushed his arms through after two big, smooth kicks. Jien felt his whole chest flare up with pride, and let Gojyo try a few more kick-stroke combos as he moved all the way to the far end of the pond, easing Gojyo along in front of him. When he got to the end, he let go of Gojyo and swam all the way to the far end.

“Come to me!” He beckoned, and Gojyo, mustering up all the might he had in his tiny little body, struggled and paddled his way across. It was a flailing effort, and Gojyo flagged a little halfway through, but he only stopped when he bumped into Jien's chest. Jien caught him up and hugged him tight. “That was amazing! That’s the ticket, little bro! Just like a monkey climbing a tree!” Gojyo laughed and hugged Jien back.

“I really can do it. Just like Dad?”

“Just like Dad!”

After another half an hour of practice, Jien decided to show Gojyo one final trick, because Gojyo was already looking tired and Jien wanted him to really enjoy the best part. He stood Gojyo on the shallow ledge again, and made him promise three times not to go in the water unless he was in the pool already. Then, he took a few steps back from the pool, got a running start and jumped in. Gojyo shrieked with mingled shock and delight as Jien splashed him.

“You big jerk, now I’m all wet!”

Jien spat water at him, still grinning. “You were already wet! Come on, you try it!”

Gojyo jogged back to the tree where Jien had hung his shoes, then ran and hopped into the water, laughing all the way. Jien caught him up after he splashed under, and he was still laughing. Laughing and laughing, with water running from his nose and through his hair and joy pouring from every tiny, precious inch of him.

Gojyo was completely tuckered out after that, and Jien shoved his shoes back on and scooped him up in his arms. Gojyo slung his arms around his neck in a loose sort of hug as Jien cradled him on their way home. “That was fun, so much fun. I never wanted to stop.”

“Me neither.” Jien chuckled into his hair, the red already drying in the warmth of the sun. Gojyo tilted his gaze up to him, taking in his face.

“Did you have fun, too?”

“You know it, baby bro. I’m happy when you’re happy.” He squeezed Gojyo again, just to get him that little bit closer, and he felt Gojyo’s mouth form a wide smile against his shoulder.

He wished he could give Gojyo more of this. His baby brother was all sugar and smiles underneath it all, and he deserved to laugh and laugh and laugh until he drowned in his own happiness.

Except he’d never let Gojyo drown. Even when he wasn’t a baby anymore, he’d always be his baby brother, and that, _this_ was his job.


End file.
